Steward Ingram & Cooper, PLLC is a CPA firm that prepares tax returns and provides accounting, bookkeeping, and tax consulting for individuals, business owners, and nonprofits in Chapel Hill and surrounding areas from our Morrisville office. Since 2000, our CPAs have worked with a variety of business industries, including health services, law firm, and construction companies. Due to the detail we put into our accounting and tax preparation services, we are limited to working with individuals whose tax needs are complex from multi-state income, stock options, and foreign income. We take on a limited number of clients each year, so if you’d like to work with us, call (919) 872-0866 or fill out the form below to learn about our current capacity. To work with a Chapel Hill CPA for this tax year, it’s best to get in touch as early in the season as possible.
Our Tax and Accounting Services
Clients work with us on an ongoing basis as accurate bookkeeping is a prerequisite to tax filing. While we do offer a la carte services, such as tax filing and financial statement preparation, many clients benefit from knowing where they stand financially before end of year taxes are due.
Accounting Services
Your CPA reviews your general ledger for discrepancies, reconciles your accounts, and prepares monthly or quarterly financial statements, based on your needs. We review all findings and data with you so you know exactly where you stand financially. We work with sole proprietorships, limited liability companies, S corporations, and C corporations, as well as nonprofits and high net worth individuals.
Bookkeeping Services
Our monthly bookkeeping services ensure your financial statements and tax return are ready when you need them. We prepare general ledgers, organize accounts payable and receivable, upkeep payroll and payroll tax reports, and create financial statements. As Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors, we can take over the day-to-day work or train your team to use QuickBooks.
Tax Planning & Preparation
We prepare business tax returns and estimated taxes, personal tax returns for individuals with complex finances, returns for estates and trusts, and nonprofit tax filing. For personal returns, that often means multi-state filing, foreign income, stock options, or tax-deferred exchanges. Planning happens early, while there is still time to change the outcome, so we review your numbers during the year, not only during tax season. We keep you informed of tax law changes and provide year-round reviews of your numbers so you’re always informed and prepared to adjust your current financial goals.
Tax Consulting Services
Tax consulting is a conversation between you and your CPA about the options that may best suit your financial goals. A member of our CPA firm will sit down with you to talk through your goals and the decisions ahead, such as choosing or changing a business entity, buying or selling a business, or filing in more than one state. We look for ways to reduce what you pay over several years, not only this year.
Financial Statement Preparation
To summarize your for-profit or nonprofit business activities, your Chapel Hill CPA will prepare your financial statement as frequently as you need it, usually on a monthly or quarterly basis. We offer reviews, compilations, and audits for financial statements depending on the level your business needs or shareholders or lenders request.
Who We Work With
We don’t have a limited type of industries, individuals, or nonprofits we work with. However, our business clients tend to be primarily service-based. When it comes to nonprofits, we often work with those facing restricted grants and split expenses. For individuals, we are limited to working with whose tax situations go beyond a simple return, and our fees reflect the time those situations take. A few examples of clients we work with include:
- Medical and dental practices: Your Chapel Hill CPA will look closely at your accounts receivable, insurance versus patient collections, and equipment depreciation.
- Engineering firms: We closely review project billings, labor costs, and work-in-progress schedules that drive your statements.
- Law firms: Your CPA reviews your general ledger, accounts receivable aging, and work in progress. We make sure trust account funds stay separate from firm funds.
- Nonprofits: We look at restricted grants, how expenses are split between programs, administration, and fundraising, and what your annual IRS return and state renewals require.
- Individuals with complex returns: Income in more than one state, foreign income, and stock options are the usual starting points.
You won’t have to guess which records we need. We will go through the list together at your first meeting.
How We Work With Chapel Hill Clients
Our office is at 3005 Carrington Mill Blvd in Morrisville, about 25 minutes from Chapel Hill. Most of our work is done virtually with a video call, but we meet in person at our Morrisville office by appointment. Since our Chapel Hill CPAs work with clients in other states and other countries, we’re proud to offer online appointments for ease of access so you’re never too far from help. Your first conversation covers your records, your goals, and who will be reading your financial statements, as applicable. From there, we match you with the CPA who best fits your accounting needs, and you’ll meet with the CPA each time.
What Working With a CPA Costs
Our fees reflect the time complex returns and records take. Individual tax returns carry a minimum fee of $1,000 and business tax returns a minimum of $1,750, and fees go up when a situation requires more time. For ongoing accounting and bookkeeping, fees follow the amount of activity in your books, and there is no minimum monthly fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is your office in Chapel Hill?
Several years ago, we combined our two offices into one, so we’re now located in Morrisville, NC, about a 25 minute drive from Chapel Hill. You are welcome to meet with your CPA in person by appointment, but many clients prefer to meet by phone or virtually to accomodate their busy schedule.
What areas do you serve?
We serve Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Pittsboro, along with Durham and Morrisville. We also work with clients in other states and other countries.
Do you work with nonprofits in Chapel Hill?
Yes. We prepare financial statements and annual IRS returns for nonprofits, and we help with the state filings that go with them.
What should I bring to my first meeting?
A good starting point is last year’s tax return and financial statements, your bank and credit card statements, loan statements, and payroll reports. We will tell you what else we need after we speak on the phone and schedule your first consultation.
How much do CPAs charge per hour?
Rates vary a lot by firm, location, and the work involved, and many CPAs quote a flat fee for a return or a monthly fee for ongoing accounting instead of an hourly rate. Feel free to ask us what is included and what would cause the fee to go up.
What is the difference between a CPA and an accountant?
Accountant is a general term, and no license is needed to use it. A CPA has passed the CPA exam and met North Carolina’s education requirements, which include a bachelor’s degree with 120 credit hours, 30 of them in accounting. A CPA must also renew the license every year. Only CPAs can perform audits and reviews. For tax planning, financial statements, or anything a lender or funder will rely on, a CPA is usually the better choice.